The Vatican and Greece have sealed this Tuesday an agreement with which the Vatican Museums will return to Athens three marble fragments belonging to the Parthenon where they were guarded since the nineteenth century thanks to the decision of Pope Francis.
»This morning at 11:30 am an agreement was signed, for the implementation of the Pope’s donation, in the presence of the President of the Governorate of the Vatican City State, Cardinal Fernando Vergez, the Greek Minister of Culture and Sports, Lina Mendoni and the director of the Vatican Museums, Barbara Jatta,» announced the Vatican press director, Matteo Bruni.
The reception of the architectural fragments of the Parthenon will take place next March 24, in Athens, in a ceremony in which a representative of the Pontifical Dicastery for Christian Unity will participate.
The three fragments in marble represent a horse’s head from the western pediment of the building, which depicted the dispute between Athena and Poseidon for the domination of Attica. The other fragment is a relief with the head of a child, a character present in the frieze that surrounded the cell of the temple: a carrier of the cakes that were offered during the procession of the Panathenaeas in honor of Athena, while the other is a head of a bearded man, which is thought to have been located in one of the metopes on the south side of the building, where a Centauromaquia was represented.
The Argentine Pope made this decision in December in a gesture with which he expressed his »sincere desire to pursue the ecumenical path» with the Greek Orthodox Church, since, as the Vatican indicated then, the »donation» will go in favor of the Archbishop of Athens and head of his Church, Hieronymus II.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
